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APIs · head to head

GraphQL Apollo vs Soketi

GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

APIs

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Soketi logo

Soketi

Developer Tools

Self-hosted, Pusher-compatible WebSockets server with a stalled maintenance record

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing; Soketi maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GraphQL Apollo and Soketi actually diverge.

Attributes where GraphQL Apollo and Soketi differ
AttributeGraphQL ApolloSoketi
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsJavaScript, Node.js, Web, MobileLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryAPIsDeveloper Tools
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GraphQL Apollo

  • Apollo Server
  • Apollo Client
  • GraphQL Federation
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • Databases
  • JavaScript support
  • Node.js support

Only in Soketi

  • Pusher protocol compatibility
  • Presence and private channels
  • Horizontal scaling
  • App management backends
  • Webhooks
  • Prometheus metrics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GraphQL Apollo

  • GraphQL API managementnot Soketi
  • Schema federationnot Soketi
  • API analytics and monitoringnot Soketi
  • Developer-focused infrastructurenot Soketi

Soketi

  • A Laravel application that already uses Echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime providernot GraphQL Apollo
  • Realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasonsnot GraphQL Apollo
  • A local or CI environment that needs a Pusher-compatible server without hitting a paid accountnot GraphQL Apollo
  • A high-connection-count application where hosted per-connection pricing has become the largest line in the infrastructure billnot GraphQL Apollo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GraphQL Apollo

  • Standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing
  • Free plan limited to 3 developers and 1-day retention
  • Self-hosted router on free tier heavily rate-limited to 60 requests/minute

Soketi

  • Maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • Dependency drift on Node and uWebSockets.js will eventually force you to fork or migrate, and that cost is unbudgeted at the point you adopt it.
  • There is no commercial support to buy, so a production incident at three in the morning is entirely your problem with no escalation path.
  • Scaling beyond a single node needs Redis and careful configuration, and getting presence channels correct across nodes is a genuine source of subtle bugs.
  • It implements the Pusher protocol rather than tracking it, so any protocol feature Pusher adds later will not appear, and the compatibility guarantee slowly decays.

Pricing, plan by plan

GraphQL Apollo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 developers
    • 1-day data retention
    • Community support only
  • Developer$5/per million requests
    • $50 usage credit for new signups
    • Up to 10 developers
    • 7-day data retention
  • Standard$null/custom
    • Up to 30 developers
    • 90-day data retention
    • Standard support with SLA (8x5)
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Unlimited developers
    • 18-month data retention
    • Business support 24x7x365 with SLA

Soketi

Free
  • SoketiFree
    • MIT licensed
    • Unlimited connections subject to your own hardware
    • No vendor billing

Which should you pick?

Choose GraphQL Apollo if

  • You need apollo server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want apollo client.
GraphQL Apollo review

Choose Soketi if

  • You need pusher protocol compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want presence and private channels.
Soketi review

Questions people ask

Is GraphQL Apollo or Soketi better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Soketi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphQL Apollo or Soketi?
GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Soketi at Free.
Does GraphQL Apollo or Soketi run on more platforms?
GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Soketi runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use GraphQL Apollo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GraphQL Apollo best used for?
GraphQL Apollo is most often used for graphql api management, schema federation, api analytics and monitoring, developer-focused infrastructure. Of those, graphql api management and schema federation are not what Soketi is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Apollo do that Soketi cannot?
GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, Presence and private channels, Horizontal scaling, App management backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GraphQL Apollo: How much does Apollo GraphQL cost?

Apollo GraphQL is free for up to 3 developers. Paid plans start at $5 per million GraphQL requests on the Developer plan, which includes $50 usage credit for new signups. Standard and Enterprise plans require custom pricing via sales contact.

Source
Soketi: Is Soketi still maintained?

Barely. The maintainer has stated that available time is very limited and releases have been sparse; treat it as community-maintained.

GraphQL Apollo: Is there a free version of Apollo GraphQL?

Yes, Apollo GraphQL offers a forever-free plan with no credit card required for up to 3 developers, including 1-day data retention, community support, and self-hosted GraphOS Router rate-limited to 60 requests per minute.

Source
Soketi: Do I need to change my client code?

No. Pusher client SDKs and Laravel Echo work by changing the host, port and credentials.

GraphQL Apollo: What does Apollo's Enterprise plan include that Standard does not?

The Enterprise plan offers unlimited developers versus 30 on Standard, 18-month data retention versus 90 days, and 24x7x365 business support with SLA instead of 8x5 support. It also includes premium and professional services add-ons and custom MSA agreements. Both require custom pricing.

Source
Soketi: What does it cost?

Nothing in licence fees. It is MIT licensed; you pay for the server it runs on.

Soketi: What are people moving to?

Laravel Reverb for Laravel applications, and Sockudo, a Rust reimplementation, for others.

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